Hypomanic clues

Ever since I learned about the possibility of long-term cognitive problems resulting from hypomanic episodes, I've been trying to get better at detecting them in hopes of stopping them.

It took probably 15 years to recognize hypomania at all. Pressured speech, yes, but that just sometimes feels like a bad day at work. Insomnia, maybe?

The one absolute identifier I can count on is this: book bingeing. I'll get fascinated by a subject and buy six or eight books about it, expecting to read them all at the same time.

But by this point, I'm off to the races. I'm curious - how do you identify the beginnings of hypomania? I'm hoping you'll come up with something I can use.

well today i was driving fairly recklessly and i dyed my hair........i only color my hair when i am manic

I chart my moods daily , it can often show a sigh of any episode on it's way long before you will "notice" it. Then you can address it before he takes off full blast.

Many people use Apps on their phones , its a simple process and only talks a couple mins a day. Personally I use paper and pen.

Hypos are great , but if they turn ugly you really need to set up a safety plan.

Welcome to PC

I'm new to this, but my current counselor has encouraged me to make a list of the things that make me manic. The biggest one for me is sleep. There's usually a week or two period where I still can sleep at a normal time, like by midnight if I force myself, but I'll WANT to stay up later. It seems like when I start giving into that is when the mood trips up even higher.

I made a habit of writing most of my college papers during all nighters the day before it was due. Part in procrastination, part in I kind of enjoyed the thrill and adrenaline rush of pushing through it. Pretty sure I was pushing myself into hypomania now, but then I had no idea what I was doing to myself.

Another one is the compulsion to write. I love writing and want to be a writer, and all of a sudden, especially if I had been in the block, the words just pour out of me effortlessly.

I can identify with book binging too. Any kind of binge, really. I taught myself to crochet in one evening during high school, and then I later taught myself to knit during a similar state of mind. I've always had my "things" and "phases," I guess!

Thanks - this is good information. I've never charted my moods and should probably try. Sleep is a good one as well. The urge to write - that's an interesting one I need to think about; I think there are varieties to that one that I haven't considered. Posting five times in one evening, maybe?

You're welcome, and maybe!

For me, I always want it to something fictional or poetry, but sometimes it's just complete nonsense. Like I'm ranting on paper, but I can't stick with a topic and angrily slash out words. It's weird - sometimes I feel like I'm composing a masterpiece when I do this, but others it's like I'm just writing because it helps me control my mind somewhat. At least they're going on paper and not just blasting in the back of my mind, but it still doesn't feel like I'm controlling what I'm saying. I've been known to toss and turn in bed because my mind won't shut up.

If this makes any sense at all.

For me it's less sleep, and wanting to do reckless, potentially dangerous or damaging things. Also agitation and feeling like i'm not doing enough with my life, or my life is too serious and not wild enough. As things progress i want to start taking drugs, and i start having spiritual thoughts that travel down a path to some pretty crazy thinking. Whenever I'm not well i get stuck in the same kind of spiritual thinking, which is probably delusional, but part of me still thinks maybe it's true, and i just can't connect with it or see it in my normal state of mind.

The biggest clue for me is I get this weird burst of energy and then I usually start cleaning like crazy (I live with my pig of a sister so there is ALWAYS a mess ) I also get super chatty and I have all these things I want to say. Lastly, I feel chipper and good. It is usually pretty obvious when I'm in a hypomanic state.

Wow. I did that once too. Dyed my hair red during a high period. Maybe red to represent the agitation or something? I don't know. Didn't think about it until now!

My biggest signal is a change in my sleeping habits. When I start feeling like I only need 4 hours a night I know I'm in trouble.

I can be triggered by things going well. At some point I start thinking 'things are going so good I can't even believe it' I'll start putting in music that gets me pumped up, etc. When that sets in I Know Im going up.

When I am hypo/manic I am incredibly irritable. Everyone goes too slow for me so I get so pissed off at everything. I also tend to believe I am smarter than everyone else and that everyone else is stupid. Sometimes I even think I have supernatural powers.

What are the long term cognitive side effects resulting from hypomania?

Disclaimer that I don't know much about anything so you shouldn't take my word:

My understanding is that mania and hypomania have roughly the same effect as a mild concussion - you lose some of your cognitive skills for awhile. A mild concussion takes 2-3 months to heal, but the damage from mania takes a couple of years - assuming no further episodes, no further damage during that time.

Depression doesn't seem to have the same effect.

Frankly, this scares the day lights out of me, which is why I want to get a lot more serious about preventing hypomania.

This is accurate to the best of my knowledge BUT I was a liberal arts major and could have it all wrong.

Oh no! Well that explains a lot. Thanks!

I'll second feeling like I'm smarter than everyone else. They're all talking really slow and obviously can't comprehend stuff on the same level I can, and no one can see how messed up certain things are - except me. Eventually I get humble through feeling really, really guilty about feeling like I'm so special, and that's not fun.

I'm usually good at keeping this superior thoughts to myself luckily. I wouldn't be as functional without that ...
Okay, I definitely need to stop doubting this diagnosis.

Thank you to all in this thread. It's very helpful to see what clues other people get. My counselor is having me identify a list, and last week, I couldn't think of anything that might be a thing for me except for sleep and wanting to write. I can't relate to every clue, but this is very helpful stuff. Thank you again!

yes for me its sleep, especially since i got a computer 2 years ago too. i like these forums and research stuff i'm interested in. i stay up for hours on it

For me it's restlessness and a feeling that things are about to change. Sleep becomes harder to get and I will have dreams about being manic when I do sleep. It's weird and hard to describe because I feel the change on the inside before it ever shows on the outside.

I know what you mean!!!

Sitting here with blue and purple hair and bank almost tapped plus not sleeping. Could prob sleep if I tried but feel like I'm missing out on something while I sleep. I'm not sure how
Deep I was this one time but I saw auras and pretty colours on the ceilings and walls.

I cannot tell you how much I identify with almost everything you wrote (minus the crochet -- for me it was beading, and then drawing and painting, both of which I miss but can't seem to get up enough motivation to do either, for some reason).

But the procrastination thing? Holy eff, yes.

And the writing thing? Oh my god yes. I go through dry periods, and then periods where I just can't stop.

I do book bingeing and music bingeing, more music bingeing lately.

Instead of staying up late, I wind up waking up at 4 or 5, like clockwork, even if I've only gotten 4 or 5 hours of sleep. My body's just like "Okay! Time to go!"

It's nice to be able to identify like this, since I'm all sorts of confused about what's going on with me. Thank you.

I tend to get really self-righteous at times.

And yes, I definitely sometimes think I have supernatural powers. More often than I'd like to admit.

I've been up since 11:00 last night on this forum stuff, i just love it, my mom gets mad at me when i tell her i still go on here because she thinks it's depressing. i just love it!!!!

Never been manic and my sleep never changes no matter if depressed or hypo.

I get very productive and artistic when hypo. Become obsessed with subject (home decor, yoga etc). Feel antsy to DO something dramatic (cut/color hair, affair, change my wardrobe, get a tattoo).

I am always irritable so I can't chalk that one to hypo but there are some days I am so irritable, my skin crawls, and I can't even stand to be with myself.

Sounds familiar to me i don't want to be in my own skin when i'm irritable and having a bad day!!